This page will be dedicated to the examination of a text set of Irish folktales. Why, Irish folktales you may ask? Why not? But really, there are a number of reasons that I selected Irish folktales. First and foremost, my ancestors are Dutch, Irish and Austrian. I don't know about you, but of the three I want to read Irish folktales. No offense intended to anyone who is Dutch or Austrian, there are addition reasons why I selected Irish tales and not the others. Second, I love fairies and leprechauns. And Ireland has an abundance of tales that include those wonderful little people. Third, all things Celtic make me extremely happy. Maybe it is the Wiccan in me. But, I wanted to be able to read about traditions which I still, at least partially, follow. So there you have it. (These are) My reasons for selecting Irish folktales and not some other equally wonderful location's folktales.
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Proposed Text Set Selections:
Burns, Batt, and Igor Oleynikov. The King with Horse's Ears and Other Irish Folktales. New York: Sterling Pub., 2009. Print.
De Paola, Tomie. Fin M'Coul: The Giant of Knockmany Hill. New York: Holiday House, 2011. Print.
De Paola, Tomie. Jamie O'Rourke and the Big Potato: An Irish Folktale. New York: Grosset & Dunlap, 2009. Print.
Doyle, Malachy, Niamh Sharkey, and Maura O'Connell. Tales from Old Ireland. Cambridge, MA: Barefoot, 2008. Print.
McDermott, Gerald. Tim O'Toole and the Wee Folk: An Irish Tale. New York, N.Y., U.S.A.: Puffin, 1992. Print.
Milligan, Bryce, and Helen Cann. Brigid's Cloak: An Ancient Irish Story. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans for Young Readers, 2002. Print.
*Note- Jamie O'Rourke and the Big Potato: An Irish Folktale by Tomie De Paola is not included in the final text set due to lack of authenticity.
THe King with Horse's Ears Bookjacket
Burns, Batt. The King with Horse’s Ears and Other Irish Folktales. Illus. by Igor Oleynikov. 2009. 96p. Sterling Publishing Co. $14.95 (978-1-4027-3772-5)
This collection contains 13 Irish tales all of which are compiled and retold by renowned Irish storyteller, Batt Burns. Included within the collection is an author’s introduction which explains his personal attachment to the stories of Ireland. A glossary of terms with pronunciations is included for readers unfamiliar with Gaelic. And additional source information is listed for further research and reading.
As the author of the book is known for his retellings of Irish folktales and has won numerous awards for such, I knew that the tales would be authentic. Mr. Burns has retold these stories in such a way as to make them understandable with everyday language but traditional with a hint of Gaelic. The overall effect is entertaining and transporting.
My favorite tale in the collection is “Oisin in the Land of the Ever Young”. It is very different from the same story of “Oisin in Tir Na nOg” which appears in Tales from Old Ireland by Malachy Doyle. This version is significantly shorter and less involved, but contains the same theme of life not being full without friends and family.
The gouache artwork created by Oleynikov lends to a feel of the age of the stories being retold. The slight bluring which occurs throughout the artwork lends to the suspension of disbelief felt by the reader as they encounter little people and kings with horse ears.
Fin M'Coul the Giant of Knockmany Hill bookjacket
De Paola, Tomie. Fin M’Coul the Giant of Knockmany Hill. Illus. by Tomie De Paola. 2011. 32p. Holiday House. $7.95 (978-0-8234-0385-1)
Fin M’Coul lives a peaceful life with his wife Oonagh. Peaceful until he hears that the giant Cucullin was on his way to beat him up as he had done with every other giant in Ireland. With Oohagh’s help and a bit of trickery, Fin defeats Cucullin and makes Ireland safe for all of the giants.
Tomie De Paola’s simplified version of a classic Fin M’Coul tale still maintains authentic elements and references another well-known Fin tale about the building of the causeway between Ireland and Scotland. This tale is included in many classic books of Irish lore including one by Yeats.
Illustrations rendered in colored ink are whimsical and add to the nonsense of the story. Border artwork was inspired by Irish metalwork and jewelry. The cultural markers included within the art such as whitewashed cottages, rolling green hills and even the silly little fairies help establish the cultural authenticity of the story.
Tales from Old Ireland bookjacket
Doyle, Malachy. Tales from Old Ireland. Illus. by Niamh Sharkey. 2000. 96p. Barefoot Books. $16.99 (978-1-84686-241-0)
This collection of 7 traditional Irish tales are all retelling of stories contained at University College in Dublin as part of the Irish Folklore Commissions collection which was assembled in the 1930's. The author, illustrator, and audio commentator are all Irish. Niamh Sharkey is the current Laureate na nÓg or Irish Laureate for Children's Literature 2012-2014.
The stories are far more extensive in this version than in other published versions of the same works. The author goes into depth and develops the characters and storylines. The use of Gaelic throughout, thankfully accompanied by a pronunciation guide lends to the authenticity of the work.
My favorite story in the collection is "Fair, Brown, and Trembling", an Irish take on Cinderella. The tale complete with kings and princes, hen wives and magic is a fun retelling of a familiar story. The inclusion of Catholic Mass in conjunction with the magical elements bridges old Irish customs with new.
The simple oil and gesso illustrations add to the whimsical feel of the stories and do not distract the readers from the underlying messages and themes of the works.
Tim O'Toole and the Wee Folk book jacket
McDermott, Gerald. Tim O’Toole and the Wee Folk. Illus. by Gerald McDermott. 1992. 32p. Puffin. $5.99 (978-0-14-050675-4)
In an Irish version of "The Table, the Ass, and the Stick", "Tim O'Toole and the Wee Folk" is a classic tale warning against boasting and pride. Tim O'Toole and his wife are very poor. Tim, needing work, sets out to make his fortune. Along the way he comes across a band of leprechauns who change his fate to keep their secret. The wee folk give Tim a goose that lays golden eggs, a magical tablecloth of plenty, and finally a hat in which they hide. Each time Tim's boasting results in his neighbors taking his gifts. That is until the wee folk take action.
Caldecott Award winning author Gerald McDermott's retelling of a classic story is simple and easily passes along the timeless message about boastfulness. The illustrations are quaint and depict the lush Irish countryside. The author does not include any notes about the origin of the story. This information came from an online book review. The language of the story is engaging as are the illustrations. The adorable wee folk make a wonderful inclusion and follow in the Irish legends of leprechauns.
Bridig's Cloak book jacket
Milligan, Bryce. Brigid’s Cloak: An Ancient Irish Story. Illus. by Helen Cann. 2002. 32p. Eerdmans Books. $9.00 (978-0-8028-5297-7)
Bryce Milligan captures the essence of Ireland with his wonderful retelling of the story of St. Brigid. Born under a sign and gifted with a magic cloak by a Druid, Brigid tends her sheep by day. At night she is transported to the birth of Christ in her dreams. She awakes to find her once tattered blue cloak whole and covered with stars.
The author's note about the history of St. Brigid is extremely helpful to those who may be unaware of her origin and deeds. Even today, people of Irelenad offer a blessing of fa bhrat Bhrighde "under Brigid's cloak" for protection.
The illustrations by Helen Cann were created using mixed media. She includes many different types of Celtic knots throughout the tale. These knots are symbolic across Ireland and have been used in Irish art for centuries. Because we know the approximate date of Brigid’s birth the illustrator was able to accurately depict clothing and locations. These depictions lend to the depth and power of the story.
Book Review Sources:
TWU Databases: EBSCO Academic Search Complete Works Consulted
Boyles, Linda. "Tim O'toole and the Wee Folk (Book)." School Library Journal 36.2 (1990): 83. Web. 26 Mar. 2013. Del Negro, Janice. "The King with Horse's Ears and Other Irish Folktales." Booklist 105.13 (2009): 44. Web. 26 Mar. 2013
Dooley, Patricia. "Fin M' Coul (Book Review)." School Library Journal 27.8 (1981): 111. Web. 26 Mar. 2013.
Dow, Sally R. "Brigid's Cloak (Book Review)." School Library Journal 49.2 (2003): 136. Web. 26 Mar. 2013.
Mandell, Phyllis Levy, and Emily Herman. "Tales from Old Ireland." School Library Journal 47.7 (2001): 60. Web. 26 Mar. 2013.
Sharkey, Niamh. "Biography." Niamhsharkey.com. n.d. Web. 27 Mar. 2013. www.niamhsharkey.com/bio.html.
Irish Folktales
This page will be dedicated to the examination of a text set of Irish folktales. Why, Irish folktales you may ask? Why not? But really, there are a number of reasons that I selected Irish folktales. First and foremost, my ancestors are Dutch, Irish and Austrian. I don't know about you, but of the three I want to read Irish folktales. No offense intended to anyone who is Dutch or Austrian, there are addition reasons why I selected Irish tales and not the others. Second, I love fairies and leprechauns. And Ireland has an abundance of tales that include those wonderful little people. Third, all things Celtic make me extremely happy. Maybe it is the Wiccan in me. But, I wanted to be able to read about traditions which I still, at least partially, follow. So there you have it. (These are) My reasons for selecting Irish folktales and not some other equally wonderful location's folktales.
logo created using Microsoft Word clipart.
Proposed Text Set Selections:
Burns, Batt, and Igor Oleynikov. The King with Horse's Ears and Other Irish Folktales. New York: Sterling Pub., 2009. Print.
De Paola, Tomie. Fin M'Coul: The Giant of Knockmany Hill. New York: Holiday House, 2011. Print.
De Paola, Tomie. Jamie O'Rourke and the Big Potato: An Irish Folktale. New York: Grosset & Dunlap, 2009. Print.
Doyle, Malachy, Niamh Sharkey, and Maura O'Connell. Tales from Old Ireland. Cambridge, MA: Barefoot, 2008. Print.
McDermott, Gerald. Tim O'Toole and the Wee Folk: An Irish Tale. New York, N.Y., U.S.A.: Puffin, 1992. Print.
Milligan, Bryce, and Helen Cann. Brigid's Cloak: An Ancient Irish Story. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans for Young Readers, 2002. Print.
*Note- Jamie O'Rourke and the Big Potato: An Irish Folktale by Tomie De Paola is not included in the final text set due to lack of authenticity.
As the author of the book is known for his retellings of Irish folktales and has won numerous awards for such, I knew that the tales would be authentic. Mr. Burns has retold these stories in such a way as to make them understandable with everyday language but traditional with a hint of Gaelic. The overall effect is entertaining and transporting.
My favorite tale in the collection is “Oisin in the Land of the Ever Young”. It is very different from the same story of “Oisin in Tir Na nOg” which appears in Tales from Old Ireland by Malachy Doyle. This version is significantly shorter and less involved, but contains the same theme of life not being full without friends and family.
The gouache artwork created by Oleynikov lends to a feel of the age of the stories being retold. The slight bluring which occurs throughout the artwork lends to the suspension of disbelief felt by the reader as they encounter little people and kings with horse ears.
Tomie De Paola’s simplified version of a classic Fin M’Coul tale still maintains authentic elements and references another well-known Fin tale about the building of the causeway between Ireland and Scotland. This tale is included in many classic books of Irish lore including one by Yeats.
Illustrations rendered in colored ink are whimsical and add to the nonsense of the story. Border artwork was inspired by Irish metalwork and jewelry. The cultural markers included within the art such as whitewashed cottages, rolling green hills and even the silly little fairies help establish the cultural authenticity of the story.
(978-1-84686-241-0)
The stories are far more extensive in this version than in other published versions of the same works. The author goes into depth and develops the characters and storylines. The use of Gaelic throughout, thankfully accompanied by a pronunciation guide lends to the authenticity of the work.
My favorite story in the collection is "Fair, Brown, and Trembling", an Irish take on Cinderella. The tale complete with kings and princes, hen wives and magic is a fun retelling of a familiar story. The inclusion of Catholic Mass in conjunction with the magical elements bridges old Irish customs with new.
The simple oil and gesso illustrations add to the whimsical feel of the stories and do not distract the readers from the underlying messages and themes of the works.
Caldecott Award winning author Gerald McDermott's retelling of a classic story is simple and easily passes along the timeless message about boastfulness. The illustrations are quaint and depict the lush Irish countryside. The author does not include any notes about the origin of the story. This information came from an online book review. The language of the story is engaging as are the illustrations. The adorable wee folk make a wonderful inclusion and follow in the Irish legends of leprechauns.
The author's note about the history of St. Brigid is extremely helpful to those who may be unaware of her origin and deeds. Even today, people of Irelenad offer a blessing of fa bhrat Bhrighde "under Brigid's cloak" for protection.
The illustrations by Helen Cann were created using mixed media. She includes many different types of Celtic knots throughout the tale. These knots are symbolic across Ireland and have been used in Irish art for centuries. Because we know the approximate date of Brigid’s birth the illustrator was able to accurately depict clothing and locations. These depictions lend to the depth and power of the story.
Book Review Sources:
TWU Databases: EBSCO Academic Search Complete
Works Consulted
Boyles, Linda. "Tim O'toole and the Wee Folk (Book)." School Library Journal 36.2 (1990): 83. Web. 26 Mar. 2013.
Del Negro, Janice. "The King with Horse's Ears and Other Irish Folktales." Booklist 105.13 (2009): 44. Web. 26 Mar. 2013
Dooley, Patricia. "Fin M' Coul (Book Review)." School Library Journal 27.8 (1981): 111. Web. 26 Mar. 2013.
Dow, Sally R. "Brigid's Cloak (Book Review)." School Library Journal 49.2 (2003): 136. Web. 26 Mar. 2013.
Mandell, Phyllis Levy, and Emily Herman. "Tales from Old Ireland." School Library Journal 47.7 (2001): 60. Web. 26 Mar. 2013.
Sharkey, Niamh. "Biography." Niamhsharkey.com. n.d. Web. 27 Mar. 2013. www.niamhsharkey.com/bio.html.